Growing up in Canada – far from the ocean, I was always conditioned to believe that Sting Rays were a lethal fish that you would be unlucky to run into let alone touch. It turns out my fear was somewhat unjustified as our recent family trip to the Bahamas can attest.
Sting Rays are very common in the Abacos, Bahamas. Our family saw one on our first day swimming in Cocoa Bay. Sitting on the dock, a moving black shadow caught our attention and served as an introduction to Sting Rays ! Later in the week, a mid sized sting ray followed us as we made our way down the beach.
The highlight of our Sting Ray interaction came on a snorkel day trip with Brendall’s Dive Shop. As our boat pulled up to a beautiful deserted beach for a shore lunch, two large
Sting Rays came right up to the boat.
Brendall demonstrated that Sting Rays are quite friendly and in fact you can touch them as long as you stay away from their spine and tail ( which are sharp and poisonous). Standing in waist high water off the beach, Brendall showed our family how we could touch and pet Sting Rays (their belly feels soft!). He gave us little bits of fish to put between our toes. The Sting Rays would then approach and suck out the fish. The experience was unforgettable! Contact
Langford & Company if you are interested in seeing Sting Rays or organizing a family adventure to the Abacos
Two friends of mine recently teamed up together to rent a private villa in Jamaica. Both had children under the age of 5 and were looking for a Caribbean escape for much needed R and R.. They choose the Jamaica Villas Resort as it provided these families with all the comforts of a home plus the added bonus of in- house service. Service from a cook who will go out and make what ever you fancy for dinner – to a babysitter who will look after your infant while you visit the beach with the older kids.
But with so much to see and do, what do you include in your 1 to 2 week adventure and what do you omit? Do you look for Turtles at Torruguerro, relax on a beach on the Pacific’s Tamarindo, hop in a plane to visit the rainforest of Corcavado, walk the cloud forests at Montverde. Where are the crowds going and where are they not going? Typically at Langford and Co we recommend families combine one or two National parks in Costa Rica and resist the urge to visit both coasts. With so many options we recommend contacting a trip planner or adventure travel expert like Langford & Company. to help organize the trip for your family.
Growing up in Canada – far from the ocean, I was always conditioned to believe that Sting Rays were a lethal fish that you would be unlucky to run into let alone touch. It turns out my fear was somewhat unjustified as our recent family trip to the Bahamas can attest.
I was recently speaking with some family friends who just returned from a March break ski vacation to Okemo Resort in Vermont. They raved about their experience. This family wanted a ski hill they could drive to (from Toronto), had a great ski school and good on hill accommodation. Okemo delivered on all three needs and more. The weather was perfect, instruction was excellent and they most importantly – the resort was comfortable and safe.